The River Seafood & Oyster Bar Restaurant Review

: Despite this eatery's slight name change (from simply The River Oyster Bar), we feel that pristine cold water oysters remain the most compelling lures here---especially during the daily (including weekends) 4:30 p.m.-7 p.m. happy hour, when the bivalves, as well as drinks, are half-price. Certainly few other eateries offer as wide an array of East and West Coast oysters; the chef’s beautifully balanced mignonette is all the accompaniment the fresh specimens need. But there are all sorts of small plates to snack on, too, including tuna or snapper tartare, or lump crab cakes with smoked almond tartar sauce. Meats such as Miami’s ubiquitous grilled churrasco are available for those who want to go beyond bar bites, but most big eaters stick with seafood dishes like pecan-crusted soft shell crab over creamless creamed corn, or lobster potpie packed with big chunks of the crustacean plus vegetables. One caveat: Purists who feel simplicity is the most respectful approach to fresh seafood will find some cooked preparations (like roasted oysters blanketed in chorizo, sofrito butter and pungent melted manchego cheese) overwrought. For downtown Brickell business people, there's a budget-friendly three-course prix-fixe lunch that changes weekly.